Determinants of Food Retailing in Developing Economies: The Case of Turkey

The relationship among economic development, public policy, and the food retailing structure is studied using historical data from Turkey. It is found that small food stores are the dominant form of food retailing in Turkey, although the stage of eco nomic development predicts "the supermarket age." It is argued that country-specific demand-side variables, such as consumption patterns and shopping habits; supply-side variables, such as marketing functions performed by stores and market entry conditions; competitive factors; and public policy play important roles beyond the stage of economic development in determining the food retailing structure in developing countries.